Approximately 400 miles, several “pit stops”, and 7 1/2 hours later we were
checked into the Fairfield Inn in Amesbury Mass. and ready for birding. The
sky was cloudy with some wind and 38-40 degree temperatures. A flock of 35 Cedar
Waxwings was feeding on holly berries at the motel.

We headed for Salisbury Beach State Reservation looking for Crossbills, Owls,
waterbirds, etc. We were losing light as we got there. Several traverses of
the campground produced no crossbills. Karl managed to find an adult Kumlien’s
Iceland Gull in a parking lot with herrings and ring-bills. Nice looks
and photo ops. Another lot had 2 Horned Larks. Don found us a perched
Kestrel and Merlin,
and we had loons, Common Goldeneyes,Buffleheads, etc. in the
bays.

Darkness came and we returned to the motel and readied for dinner at “Stripers”.
Some rain began to fall. Dinner was excellent (good New England Clam “Chowda“).
We had to roust Tom from an after dinner “nap” with more than a little difficulty,
and headed back to get some much needed rest - a long day. Raining.

Thursday Feb. 19 - Motel breakfast at 6:30 am and out to the
cars at 7:00 to head for the Gloucester Harbor area, about a 45 minute drive
through heavy rain and some fog. Temperature about 40. By 9:15 am the rain was
stopping and clearing looked like it was coming. We birded the statue area at
Pavilion Beach getting Common
Eiders,Long-tails,
Horned Grebe,
Common Goldeneyes, White-winged Scoter, another adult Kumlien’s
Gull, and took some “tourist-type”
photos at the statue of the Gloucester Fisherman. Don found an alcid and
got us on it and although a scope bird we got good looks and proclaimed it a
Thick-billed Murre.

We decided to go to the Gloucester State Fish Pier and maybe get a better look
at the Murre somewhere. At the pier area we had numerous 1st year
and adult Iceland
Gulls, a couple of 1st year Glaucous
Gulls, and believe it or not, Karen Johnson found a Snowy
Owlsitting up
on some dock machinery!! Nice birding but time for a Dunkin’ Donuts break, and
on to various spots along the harbor heading to Eastern Point. Niles Beach and
Pond were rather slow but the Dog Bar Breakwater had Purple Sandpipers,
and several Black Guillemots, not too far off, in both winter and breeding
plumage. We had some wind, but the temperature was in the 40’s and blue sky
showing. On the way off the point we found 2Wild Turkeys.

From here we birded the Rockport coast including, Bearskin Neck, Pigeon Cove,
Andrew’s Point, and Folly Cove. We found more Guillemots, many Eiders,
Harlequin Ducks,
a fly-by Peregrine Falcon, and 5-6 Razorbills. The Locust Grove/Seaside
Cemetery provided us with a few land birds. We then headed back to the motel
at about 4:45 pm and prepared for a good dinner at Michael’s a familiar place
to some of us. We met Pat and Clay Sutton at the restaurant and exchanged birding
information. They were leaving the next morning. On our way back to the motel
some wet snow was falling and the temperature was dropping.

Friday Feb. 20 - Again a complimentary breakfast at 6:30 am and
off to the south jetty area of Newburyport Harbor and Plum Island - after clearing
off 2 inches of frozen-on snow from the cars - 19 degrees, windy and getting
windier! Lots of Common Loons, and Red-necked Grebes at the inlet,
but no Crossbills at the lighthouse pines. We were greeted by a closed gate
at Plum Island, they had not yet plowed the road, so we stopped at the Mass
Audubon Center in the Jappa Flats area and browsed while getting some local
info on the plowing. Here we picked up a Bald Eagle and Goldfinch
and then moved on to bird the Merrimac River while waiting for the plows to
clear Plum Island road.

At one acces to the river we found a couple of Bald Eagles and managed
to see one - maybe 3rd yr. bird - snag a Starling and proceed to
eat it on the wing like some large Merlin. Among the Common Goldeneyes
and Mergansers, Don found a Goldeneye female with an entirely
orange-yellow bill. Good scope looks, but we wanted a closer look, but could
not re-find the bird at another upstream access. All agreed it was a Barrow’s
Goldeneye. Now time to do Plum Island.

Still closed! So now to the Parker River NWR headquarters to get up-to-date
information and a “potty stop“. They said Plum should be plowed and open shortly.
Meanwhile their feeders produced Am.
Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Goldfinch, Red-winged Blackbird, and a Siskin
seen by a few.

No land birds on the way out to the gate entrance. Shortly thereafter we saw
car stopped and looking at something in the dunes. We quickly had a well hidden
Snowy Owl on the
leeward side of a large sand dune. Nice looks. The road was open to HellCat
and we birded our way down. At one stop we had a small flock of White-winged
Crossbills fly by. At HellCat we had Black-capped
Chickadees, and Tree Sparrows. We braved the 20 degree 20 mph
wind to trudge out to the lookout and returned to the cars to leave the island.
All the while we were on “Shrike Watch” but with no luck. As we left HellCat
Kathy spotted some bird activity in the woods and we all jumped out and found
a flock of ~35-40 Common
Redpolls near the area Pat and Clay had them 2 days earlier. Nice! As
we got near the gate Warren saw some birds in a pine which turned out to be
White-winged Crossbills. Hard to see as they were on the back side of
the large pine . As we called to the others ahead of us they radioed that a
flock was coming our way. They landed in the same tree but views were bad. The
Snowy Owl was still in his original place in the dunes. We left for the
Audubon center to ready ourselves for the ride home, and as it was 2:00 pm,
we asked about a place to eat. They recommended a simple but good place up the
road - Bob Lobster. It was very good and hit the spot for everyone, even had
Horned Larks outside. Nice Lobster Rolls and Clam or Fish Chowder.

On the road at 3:00pm, and although we did not stick together, we all hit the
Hartford traffic and were home at around 11:00 pm. A good time was had by all.